February 21, 2019

Assamese film ‘Kokaideu Bindaas’ is all set to release all over the state on March 1. The film, made under the banner of Dream Production, is directed by Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi. The film’s executive producer is Anupam Hazarika.

What really ensues when two brothers, who are seemingly poles apart, come face to face after a long time? Will they find enough reasons to stand by each other? Will love manage to triumph all odds?

‘Kokaideu Bindaas’ depicts the life of two brothers in a most unassuming way. The story deals with issues of commitment, priorities in life, longing, and sense of belonging. “When this story was narrated, I felt, I could take this story forward and create a film, which will give the audience some insights about life and its priorities,” Dhrubajyoti said.

The film’s shooting has been done in various locations like Guwahati, Tezpur, Sivasagar, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Bengaluru, etc. The music is scored by Manash Robin, cinematography is by Papu Deka and art direction is by Bhaskarjyoti Kalita, while Chinmoy Sarmah is the film’s creative director and story-writer.

February 19, 2019

At long last, the people of Assam will get to savour the beautiful colours and electrifying music of the widely awaited Assamese film ‘RONGEEN’. Scheduled for a March 15 theatrical release, the people of Assam are expected to throng the movie theaters to watch ‘RONGEEN’ this election season.

In director Shankar Borua's words: "RONGEEN is a political musical with 8 songs, primarily what we would call as Assamese rap music. The content is fairly local and reflective of the political mood on the ground in Assam at this moment, just the right time to take this powerful movie with a strong political message to the people of Assam. A down-and-out guy who manages singers for a living gets an Assamese rapper to defeat his arch enemy in a bye-election to settle an old personal score – that is ‘RONGEEN’ (Colourful) in one line."

A unique cinematic experiment conducted by Borua, ‘RONGEEN’ will also showcase rapper Kussum Koilash in his first movie appearance.

Borua further said: "I feel this is precisely the time for ‘RONGEEN’ to hit the theaters, before the elections coupled with the political situation on the ground here in Assam."

A compelling and uplifting narrative, ‘RONGEEN’, set in rural Assam, is a simple tale of a wronged man seeking justice through participatory democracy. Domboru Borbora (played by Upamanyu Boruwa) with the help of Assamese rapper Pobitro Sonowal (played by Kussum Koilash) and Middle English (M.E.) school teacher Digombor Rajkhowa (played by Ranjit Baruah) makes the devious Puna Saikia (played by Hiren Sarma) eat humble pie.

“It is essentially a David versus Goliath tale where an ordinary guy from a humble background, in his effort to avenge an old wound inflicted on his family, attempts an extra-ordinary feat by taking on a powerful guy in a bye-election in the interiors of Upper Assam," said Borua.

“I ventured to craft it as a musical to reach out to a wider audience across the length and breadth of Assam,” said Borua. “Music is a fantastic vehicle not just to deliver a political message overtly but also to showcase the splendour of this beautiful land – Assam,” Borua adds.

Born and raised in Duliajan, independent filmmaker Shankar Borua has continued making cinema with a distinct sensibility and a signature style, working largely guerrilla-style with non-actors and extremely low budgets. As an actor, he goes by the screen name Upamanyu Boruwa and has played the lead in all his recent films – ‘Grief on a Sunday Morning’ (alongside the legendary Biju Phukan), ‘The Curiosity Shop’ and now, ‘Rongeen’ (Colourful).

February 13, 2019

The first Geetikobi Parvati Prasad Baruva award was presented to noted lyricist, musician, poet and litterateur Prof Idris Ali by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a solemn function, held at the Madhabdev international auditorium of Srimanta Shankardev Kalakshetra, in Guwahati, recently. The award carries a citation and a cash reward of Rs two lakhs.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said that Geetikobi Parvati Prasad Baruva has enlightened the Assamese culture with his immortal creations. The motive behind instituting this award is to keep his invaluable creations alive for the new generation to take inspiration and get motivated.

Prof Ali in his well articulated acceptance speech said that by receiving the award, he got bonded with the great soul of the cultural icon for a lifetime.

He recollected being deeply inspired by the works of Baruva, who is considered as one of the pioneers of Assamese modern songs, apart from Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla and Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha. The much revered figure, who was the single most important influence on him during his formative years, taught him to love the world in all its beauty and complexity.

Speaking on the occasion, noted litterateur and former president of Asom Sahitya Sabha, Kanak Sen Deka threw light on the life and times of Parvati Prasad Baruva, his struggles in life, his perseverance and his continued zeal to contribute to the life and culture of the Assamese community.

On the occasion, Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley also reflected on the life and works and Pravati Prasad Baruah.

Power Minister and legislator from Sonari, Tapan Kumar Gogoi spoke about his long association with the family of the great cultural icon. “The people of Sonari always wanted the works of Parvati Prasad Baruva to be remembered by the State,” he said, while expressing his gratitude to the Chief Minister in instituting this award.

On the occasion, a host of former students of Prof Ali from Nagaon Girls College, where he served for more than two decades, spontaneously took the dais and felicitated him.

The function was attended by a host of dignitaries from the cultural, literary and social arena of the State, apart from the family members of Parvati Prasad Baruva.

Bidyut Kotoky’s ‘Xhoihobote Dhemalite’
(Rainbow Fields) is just a step away from getting nominated for the
‘Golden Reels Award’ presented by the MPSE, in the Foreign Film
category, which acknowledges the year’s best work in the various areas
of sound editing: Dialogue, ADR, Effects, Foley and Music.

Founded
in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) is an honorary society of
motion picture sound editors, dedicated to improving the recognition of
its members by educating the public and the rest of the filmmaking
community as to the artistic merit of sound editing. The 66th Annual
Golden Reel Awards, which is scheduled to be held on February 17, 2019,
will honour the sound editorial for the year 2018. This is one of the
best prestigious awards in the field of sound.

This is for the first time that an Assamese movie has been shortlisted for nomination for this prestigious award. The jury panel of MPSE will decide the nominations among the shortlisted films.

The
critically acclaimed Assamese film has already won numerous awards,
including the Best Narrative Feature in the Erie International Film
Festival, Pennsylvania, and the Best Screenplay Award at the Treasure
Coast International Film Festival in Florida, among others.

February 11, 2019

The fourth edition of the North East Film Festival, representing the diversity and rich culture of the eight states, organized by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI), in association with Symbiosis and Ishanya Cultural and Educational Centre (SICEC) and the North East Community Organisation Pune (NECOP), successfully concluded in Pune, recently.

Titled ‘Fragrances from the North East’, the festival which took place from February 1 to 3, served as a unique window to the films, food, culture and handicrafts diversity of North East and enabled the cultural amalgamation of the region with the rest of the country.

Screenings were held at the NFAI Phase ll, located in Kothrud, and the ELTIS Symbiosis (English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis) in the Model Colony.

The festival featured a selection of fifteen films in seven languages, of which two are bilingual – one in Sylheti Bengali-Assamese and the other in Assamese-Manipuri. Dominic Megam Sangma’s enchanting Garo-language film ‘Ma.Ama’ was the opening film, while Rima Das’ Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’, which was India’s official entry to Oscars 2019, was the festival’s closing film.

Amongst the invited guests of the film festival were filmmakers Dominic Sangma, Roopa Barua, Monjul Baruah, Bobby Wahengbam, among others.

Roopa Barua’s engaging documentary ‘Daughters of Polo God’ - a tribute to the women polo players of Manipur, the birthplace of modern polo, and Monjul Baruah’s critically acclaimed movie ‘Kaaneen’, were also screened on the occasion.

February 9, 2019

When I first heard about the documentary “Loralir Sadhukatha (Tales from our childhood)” by Mukul Haloi, I was very interested in watching it since it was about the dark times of the ULFA movement in the 1990’s. I have always heard about those terror stricken days from my parents and when I got to know about its screening at the 1st Guwahati International Docu and short film festival on the 23rd January, I just ran to grab my seat to experience those times.

The film started off with one of the director’s friend borrowing a camouflage uniform and posing like a rebel whom they have seen in their childhood. This beautifully composed shot of posing in empty paddy fields really creates a wave of the gloomy period of turmoil. Then stories about blackouts, ambush, secret killings and disturbance begin to unfold by the maker’s friends, parents and relatives. They recollect how the Indian Army used to come suddenly at the middle of the night and check whether there were any militants hiding. They speak about the designated campsites which used to exist in various places of Nalbari, Digboi and Tinsukia. They also expressed their grief over the local boys who were involved in the armed struggle and got killed unknowingly by the Army. While many of them got martyred, others used to disappear suddenly and never returned.

It is captivating to hear all the memories of those chaotic days. It creates a sense of agony whenever somebody narrates about the innocent killings during the ULFA-army clash. The director narrates some heart touching poems about the martyrs which enhances the flavour of the narrative. The poetic form tends to create a mood which sets the mind of the audience with the tone of the dark times. While others recollected their memories, one of the director’s friends opens up her diary of her childhood and tell how her uncle used to go to the forest and never come back for many years. There are many such spine chilling moments which tend to take us 20 to 30 years back.

Amidst all the disturbance and violence that continued for so many years for the Independence of Assam, one of the director’s friend states as to how they grew up amongst all these happenings but sadly nothing has changed even after 30 years of this struggle. The sound design by Rahul Rabha serves as the spine to the real visuals. In all, Mukul Haloi has really done a commendable piece of work by reviving those turbulent times on the screen with the essence of poetry. The film has been produced by the School of Media and Cultural Studies, TISS Mumbai.Anurag Barman

February 8, 2019

The talented Kismat Bano is all set to enthrall the audience with her play ‘Helen’ at the prestigious Nepal International Film Festival, 2019.

Guwahati girl Kismat Bano’s play found its place among the critically acclaimed plays by experienced directors from Italy, Denmark and Norway among other countries.

The play will be staged at the Nepal International Theatre Festival, 2019, organized in Kathmandu, Nepal, to be held from February 25. About ten critically acclaimed plays will be staged during the festival.

Kismat Bano, often referred as the stage prodigy, has got a mini-theatre hall built at her house in Dhirenpara in Guwahati to train neighborhood children.

The Nepal International Theatre Festival, 2019, is a celebration of art, culture, traditions in the form of theatre performances. The fest encourages medium of expressions like the Jatra, poetry and so on.

Interestingly, Kismat staged ‘Helen’, which is also her first directed play, in an UNESCO event at Dhaka, Bangladesh recently.

Helen centres around five main characters, and Kismat portrays the role of the protagonist Helen, who is born with critical ailments and gradually grows up into a visually impaired and differently abled girl.

A familiar name in the field of cine-journalism, Hemanta Sarma is now making his directorial debut with a new Assamese film. Tackling a serious subject in nature, the story deals with the theme of secularism.

Speaking about his film, Hemanta says - “The film focuses on a small but an important issue of our society. We live in a secular country. But how many people understand or believe in the very concept of secularism? There is one form of intolerance or discrimination or the other in every religion. There has been numerous incidents of religious violence in the country, which has disturbed its social fabric.”

The film follows the story of a Muslim journalist, who has to undergo discrimination and prejudice based on his faith. The film’s story, script and dialogue are also written by Hemanta Sarma. The film is produced by Utpal Bania, Managing Director of DOOGDOOGI – an Assamese jewellery company, under the banner of Focus Media. While the cinematography is done by Deepkamal Gogoi, music composed by Sudipta Nayan, the editing is executed by Manash Pratim.

The various roles in ‘To Let’ are played by Kulendra Rai Choudhury, Naba Mahanta, Pratima Sarma and Minakshi Devi. As informed by the director, the film will be sent to various film festivals after its censoring.

February 5, 2019

It was during the second decade of the fifties that a young girl hailing from Sivasagar just enthralled the audience at Latashil Bihu Function in Guwahati with her mesmerising voice. There was some magical attraction in that voice.

She was Dipali Barthakur who, just after a year or two, became a Guwahatian and won the hearts of the masses in every nook and corner of the State with her spellbinding songs. As a junior artiste, Dipali Barthakur, with her intrinsic politeness and humble attitude could gather profound love and affection from a lot of senior artistes of the State. She would, sometimes, approach the famous and well-known artistes and learn a song or two with outmost sincerity and eagerness.

Then, at the peak of her enviable popularity, Dipali Barthakur lost her unmatched voice. It was an irreparable damage for the music scenario of Assam. Yet, the only consolation is the heartfelt love and recognition showered on Dipali Barthakur by legions of fans and admirers in Assam for her music talent.

Dipali Barthakur was born on January 30, 1941, at the Nilamoni Tea Estate. Her father was Bishwanath Barthakur, who worked as the manager of the tea estate, and her mother was Aaimoni Barthakur. As the youngest among six brothers and sisters, she lived in a cloistered environment with her elder sisters Rebati, Nirmali and Putuli, and elder brothers Bhupen and Bhaben. When she was a little girl, her father had suffered from severe acidity. And since there was no medical facility in the tea garden, he was shifted to their maternal uncle's home in the Amolapatty locality in Sivasagar. The family too followed suit. But her father couldn't recover from his ill-health, and one day, he passed away. Dipali Barthakur was just two-and-a-half-years old then. The family never returned to the tea garden again and stayed behind at the maternal uncle's place.

They lived with their great grandfather, prominent writer and social reformer Hemchandra Barua, who wrote the first Assamese dictionary 'Hemkosh'. His nephew - Anandaram Barua, was their grandfather, their mother's father.

Dipali Barthakur began her studies at the Amolapatty LP School and her high school studies at the Phuleswari High School. She was very fond of music since childhood. Devotional songs rendered by her mother and grandmother were her primary source of inspiration, and shaped a life deeply rooted in traditional values. In Seuji Samaj Sangeet Vidyalaya, which is situated near their house, Parag Dhar Chaliha and the then head master of the school, Atul Sarma used to teach music, and Dipali was quite diligent in acquiring the best of what she was taught. Back at home, her brothers Bhupen and Bhaben taught her singing by playing the harmonium. In 1956, when she was in Class-VII, she was adjudged the Best Singer in a music competition held at Dibrugarh.

Then in 1957, Dipali Barthakur got the chance to sing a few songs in the famous play 'Charihejar Bosoror Asom', written and directed by Parag Chaliha. It was Chaliha who introduced her to Phani Talukdar, the then Programme Executive of AIR. And, on his invitation, for the first time, Dipali Barthakur, who was studying in Class-IX then, recorded a song at AIR, Guwahati, in 1958. The song written by Lila Gogoi was 'Mur Bupai Lahori Napaisu Ahori'. She passed the audition and recorded her first song as a graded artiste of AIR, Guwahati, which was written and tuned by the legendary lyricist Luit Konwar Rudra Barua. The song was the evergreen 'Samai Pale Aamar Phale Abar Ahi Jaba'.

In 1960, she took admission in the I.A. class of Cotton College. After that, she enrolled in the Handique Girls College for her degree classes in 1962. But after just three months, she shifted to B. Borooah College mainly because of her affinity towards eminent writer, poet and lyricist Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi, who was a professor of the college.

By that time, two songs written by Bordoloi, sung by Dipali Barthakur and tuned by her brother Bhabendra Barthakur had achieved enormous popularity, becoming enduring classics. One was 'Sunor Kharu Nalage Muk' and the other was 'Kon Sei Rupavati Jai'. The collaboration spawned more other songs, which became immensely popular as well, including ‘Sunuwali Buta Bosa Asomiya Paat’, ‘Suntir Suwani Lawoni Mukhkhoni’ and ‘Junbai Ei Beji Eti Diya’.

In 1962 and 1964, Dipali Barthakur recorded songs written by Bordoloi at the HMV Studio in Kolkata, in addition to few other songs. Earlier Dipali Barthakur recorded the song of the film 'Lachit Borphukan' in Kolkata. The song 'Joubane Amoni Kare' became a huge hit. After that, she rendered that famous song written and tuned by noted lyricist Kamal Hazarika - 'Chenai Moi Jao Dei, Bihute Ahim Oi'. When Hazarika returned from London to Assam, Dipali Barthakur met him and asked for his permission to record the song. When Kamal Hazarika heard the song in her voice, he was absolutely bowled over. The song had made Assam's boys and girls go absolutely crazy. Barthakur had accumulated a mass of obsessive, adoring fans. During the mid sixties, Dipali Barthakur selected two songs tuned by eminent artiste Birendra Nath Dutta for recording in Kolkata - 'Ethengiya Bogoli Hoi Nache', penned by distinguished poet-litterateur Navakanta Barua, and 'Konman Boroshire Chip', written by Jayanta Barua. Another song ‘Ai Nadir Epare Haahir Phool Phule’ written by Ratna Ojah became immensely popular. A number of her songs like ‘Aai Moi Sunisu Aghunot Bule Patiso Toi Mur Biya’, ‘Agoli Kolapat Lore Ki Sore’, 'Konman Boroshire Chip', ‘Tare Agot Ronga Jiya Rajkanya Nache Diplip’, 'Samai Pale Aamar Phale Abar Ahi Jaba', among others, explore women's feelings and emotions. Although her output is relatively small, very few singers in the twentieth century achieved as much impact as Dipali Barthakur.

The spontaneity and effortlessness with which she rendered songs astounded everyone. Although she had no formal training, her music sense was incredible and she hardly needed a tanpura or harmonium to catch up with the scale. Neither did she require a tabla to catch up with the rhythm. Her style of singing was free from any influence. There was no artificiality in her voice. Her throwing and pronunciation was entirely pitch perfect and clear. There was an ethnic sweetness in her singing, perfectly irresistible, which was absolutely free and open that immediately touched the soul. It was amazing that at such a tender age, she was able to shower her songs with such genuine and deeply felt emotion.

Chronic Motor Neuron - the disease that she was afflicted with, was first detected in 1968. Then Dipali Barthakur used to stay with her elder brother Bhupendra Nath Borthakur. "One day, she had slipped down from her verandah and told us that she did not have any strength in her legs. She also complained of respiratory and speech difficulties," her brother recalled. She was then immediately taken to Dr Mathura Bhattacharyya, the principal of Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh. After conducting various tests and investigation for seven days, Dr Bhattacharyya summoned her brother to confirm that Dipali Barthakur was suffering from a rare disease that has no medicine to cure it. Dr Bhattacharyya explained that the disease called 'Chronic Motor Neuron' is seen once in a billion. The patient gradually loses all strength for any movement; the entire body dries up, loses appetite and slowly becomes unable to talk properly. Her brother also received a letter from heart specialist Dr. Dhaniram Barua, who wrote that he was practicing in a big hospital in Edinburgh, and that she should be sent there. He would take every other care so that she would get proper treatment. So, Dipali Barthakur went there alone. She had undergone a small operation there. But finally, the doctors in that hospital in Edinburgh had confirmed Dr Mathura Bhattacharyya's diagnosis and Dipali came back home. Before that, she had visited Kolkata for treatment. Back home in Tezpur, she used to take regular medicines for temporary relief and the process continued unabated. In 1969, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika penned a particular stanza as a spontaneous after-thought in the immortal ‘Shitore Shemeka Raati’, where he pays a poignant ode to the Nightingale of Assam - ‘On a damp wintry night, Let me be the nectar-voice, For an immortal song unsung as yet, That can ring in a new morn, Of a singer who has been throttled…’. Despite her condition, Barthakur somehow managed to record her last song ‘Luito Nejabi Boi’, in the same year.

"One day, I got a letter from my cousin, famous playwright Mahendra Barthakur, who wrote that an artiste wants to marry Dipali," recalled Bhupendra Nath Barthakur. It was on an evening of 1975, when fine arts artist and Lalit Kala Akademi member Neel Pawan Baruah, son of renowned Assamese writer Binanda Chandra Baruah, told Mahendra Barthakur that he wished to marry Dipali. The playwright was taken aback and looked at his eyes for some moments. Dipali was no more that famous singer Dipali Barthakur. She could not even walk properly. "Don't take any such decision out of emotion. Because, if one day the emotion is finished and you would think that you have made a mistake, all of us will be tremendously hurt," Neel Pawan Baruah was told in no uncertain terms by Mahendra Barthakur then. Moreover, if she found out that he was doing her a favour out of pity or sympathy, it would be a fatal shock for her. But Neel Pawan Baruah was firm on his decision. And on March 7, 1976, Dipali Barthakur and Neel Pawan Baruah got married. Mahendra Barthakur's father Lakshminath Barthakur performed the job of kanyadan.

Dipali Barthakur had accepted her situation as her second life. She tried her best to adjust with her physical and mental condition from the very beginning of her distressful life. She was well aware of the fact that she had to live the life alone and on somebody's obligation. But all of a sudden, a new chapter began and her life took a new turn. Like a true partner, Baruah took care of his spouse like a mother tending to her child. Throughout their marriage, he regularly bathed her, watched over her, fed her and never let her go out of his sight. He once said that his devotion towards his wife was a part of his artistic endeavour. In doing so, he had to take some breaks from his creative pursuits. But the couple had to struggle a lot to make ends meet. They started a small eatery in the Assam State Museum premises, in 1984. They used to travel by city buses in the morning, running the canteen all day long before returning home in the evening. One day, their bus had an accident and Dipali Barthakur was admitted to a hospital. After that, they left the canteen business, and bought rickshaws. Gradually, they became the owner of as many as nine rickshaws. But some recurrent trouble compelled them to sell the rickshaws. Then, they bought autorickshaws, but then again, trouble ensued and they had no option but to sell them. Much to their relief, Dipali Barthakur and Neel Pawan Baruah received artistes’ pensions in 1988 and 1989, respectively. With that money and sometimes by selling his paintings, the couple somehow managed to sustain themselves. They never craved for anything materialistic, but only wanted peace and understanding. In 1991, Neel Pawan Baruah started an art school in the premises of their home in Beltola - Basundhara Kala Niketan. It was quite a solace and pleasure for her to see little kids coming in droves to the art school.

Even though she could no longer sing, she was very much present in the world of songs and music. She regularly used to listen to all the Assamese musical programmes of AIR, Guwahati. A genuinely good singer always deeply impressed her. Similarly, a promising singer made her enchanted. She had anticipated bright future in the singing quality of her niece Sangita or for that matter, Manjyotsna Mahanta or Tarali Sarma. She was never inhibited in showing her appreciation for bright talents. It was one of her greatest qualities as a human being. She would occupy herself with whatever was around her and not for once complained or regretted the fact that she could no longer sing anymore. But she was quite concerned to see singers, musicians and lyricists tempering with the flavour or purity of our cultural roots in the name of modernity. She once raised the topic with Mahendra Barthakur - "Brother, how a rootless tree will grow up?” Her elder brothers, Bhupendra and Bhabendra have made indispensable contributions throughout her music life. Bhabendra Barthakur died in 2009. She was stunned for quite some time and felt tremendously disenchanted. Her brother's tune was the soul of most of her songs. Bhupendra Nath Borthakur, her elder brother, passed away in 2018, which brought back feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

Dipali Barthakur’s passing has been described in various quarters as the end of an era. But it has solidified the legend that had already begun during her lifetime. The love and affection she had received in her life is unparalleled. She will be forever engraved in the hearts and minds of millions of her fans and admirers. Dipali Barthakur's birthday on January 30 is celebrated by people since 2002.

KothaSobi is a premier online magazine on Assamese Film industry providing film news, reviews, videos and box office collections.
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